The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was marked on 26 June 2015, with events planned in Karachi, Lahore, Haripur, and in many other districts of Pakistan. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), with the support of local and international rights-based organizations, has been striving to create awareness and mobilize the masses against the heinous practice of torture in custody. Civil society and parliamentarians have participated in the events, with many deploring the lack of any law in Pakistan that discourages torture, despite the ratification of UNCAT.
The events attracted many international organisations, such as the European Union and OMCT to join the AHRC in conducting consultations and seminars. No other organization in Pakistan observes this day regularly to help confront torture in Pakistan. The attending parliamentarians and civil society members vowed to continue lobbying and struggling for the cause of a torture-free society in Pakistan.
A research book on torture titled Custodial Torture: Its ramifications and failure of institutions was formally released in Karachi and Lahore. Those attending the release were also given a copy of a handbook on torture, “Let’s stop torture together”, available in Urdu and English. In Karachi the AHRC partnered with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), while in Lahore, the AHRC had the support of PODA, Anti Torture Alliance (ATA), HRCP, European Union, FGHR, and OMCT.
The participants at all the consultations/seminars unanimously passed a resolution demanding an end to torture by enacting anti torture laws. The participants agreed that:
- There is an urgent need to enact a law criminalizing torture.
- State impunity is aggravating the problem further.
- Ratification of UNCAT obligates the State to enact legislation to criminalize torture.
- Torture should not be allowed under any circumstances and is never justifiable.
- State inaction is causing human rights violations.
- Despite Article 14 of the Constitution, people are denied the right not to be tortured.
- Modern methods of investigation should be adopted; the Forensic Department needs to be developed and the existing laboratories upgraded.
- Reforms should be initiated in the policing system by abolishing colonial-era practices and making the police people-friendly.
- Private torture cells run by the police and other agencies should be abolished.
- Torture victims or their legal heirs must be compensated for the loss of life or injury caused to the victim by the police department, and not just by the erring police officers, who often cite economic inability to compensate the victim.
Karachi Seminar
Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) jointly organized a seminar on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi. Justice (r) Majida Razvi, Chairperson of Sindh Human Rights Commission, presided over the seminar, where the main speakers included Shehla Raza, Deputy Speaker of Sindh Assembly, Suleman Mujahid 
Baloch, MNA from MQM; Karamat Ali, Executive Director of PILER, Khurshid Abbasi, General Secretary of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Hasan Athar of the Asia Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and Qazi Ahmed Noorani, President of Jamiat Ulema Pakistan Karachi. More than 200 persons participated in the seminar.
The seminar was well attended by people of all walks of life, and the speakers stressed upon the need for an all encompassing law that would criminalize custodial torture, whether the perpetrators are the police, military, or paramilitary forces. On the occasion, Ms. Shehla Raza, Deputy Speaker, Sindh Assembly, vowed to take up the matter in the Sindh Assembly, and promised to lobby for the enactment of the law.
For media coverage of the event, follow the links provided below:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1190285
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/27-Jun-2015/anti-torture-day-speakers-call-for-an-end-to-custodial-torture
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/314391/call-to-enact-anti-torture-legislation/
http://tribune.com.pk/story/910997/supporting-torture-victims-audience-decries-govts-mental-torture-in-deadly-heatwave/
http://www.dawn.com/news/1190646
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-325769-Cheera-other-brutal-methods-continue-to-taint-countrys-image
http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=267180
Lahore Consultation
On 26 June, a civil society consultation was jointly organized by Anti-Torture Alliance (ATA) Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), PODA, and OMCT in connection with International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Human rights defenders and activists, including Asma Jehangir, Bushra Khaliq, Tanveer Jehan, Waqar Mustafa, Nadeem Anthony, and Samson Salamat spoke on the occasion.
The participants of the consultation stated that the State report on the progress of compliance regarding 27 UN conventions, including the UNCAT, is due within the next six months. Therefore, it has become all the more important for the government to take practical steps towards the elimination of custodial torture.
Salient points of the resolution passed on the occasion are:
- The parliament of Pakistan should enact a law to criminalize torture in line with the UNCAT and ensure that it would be vigorously enforced;
- The government should end impunity for law enforcers detaining people on suspicion or in the name of national security;
- The government should establish rehabilitation centers for torture victims and pay compensation to them;
- The government must shut down private detention and torture cells, and police and other law enforcement agencies’ torture cells;
- Immediate steps should be taken to stop abductions and disappearances, bring perpetrators to justice, ensure security of HR defenders, journalists, political activists, writers, students by developing a mechanism for their protection and safety;
- Modernize the criminal justice system by developing proper complaint centers;
- Start reforms in the lower judiciary and prosecution. system.
To read the media coverage of the event follow the links here:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-5-325785-Torture-hinders-broader-human-uplift-in-Pakistan
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Christians-and-Muslims-slam-everyday-torture-in-Pakistan-34625.html
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-5-325639-Torture-in-custody-a-crime-against-humanity-speakers
Haripur Meeting
In Haripur, KPK province, the AHRC collaborated with Human Development Organization (HDO) and FGHR to organize the event on the International Day in Support of Torture Victims.
Lahore Press Conference
On 25 June 2015, a press conference was conducted in Lahore by the AHRC and its partner organization to raise awareness about the issue of torture. Bushra Khaliq moderated the press conference. Human rights defenders and activists, including Asma Jehangir, Bushra Khaliq, Tanveer Jehan, Waqar Mustafa, Nadeem Anthony, and Samson Salamat, spoke on the occasion. The participants emphasized the need for a comprehensive law against torture and requested the journalists to raise the issue to increase public awareness about torture.
The speakers stated that the victims are threatened into silence and even if someone wants to report it, there is no legal mechanism to help the victim. So without effective legislation against torture, a proper forensic system and zero tolerance, torture-free investigation is wishful thinking.
The event was covered by a number of local newspapers, for details please follow the links below:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-5-325639-Torture-in-custody-a-crime-against-humanity-speakers
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/06/26/city/lahore/want-safer-hr-defenders-journalists-abolish-private-detention-centres/
http://omnifeed.com/article/tribune.com.pk/story/909931/human-rights-legislation-needed-against-custodial-torture/
Book Launch
On the occasion, the research book titled Custodial torture, the ramifications and failure of institutions and a handbook on dealing with torture Let’s stop torture together were launched. The Daily Times covered the event. (Please follow the link to read the news about the book launch).
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/27-Jun-2015/anti-torture-day-speakers-call-for-an-end-to-custodial-torture
The AHRC wishes to thank all its partners for lending support to the cause of an anti-torture legislation and for making the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture a resounding success. The AHRC would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm support for the cause of anti-torture in Pakistan and hope that the State will enact laws to fulfil its obligations under UNCAT.
